PANAMA CITY, Panama — Mexico coach Juan Carlos Osorio will look to once again top his countryman Hernan "Bollilo" Gomez when Mexico and Panama square off in a CONCACAF World Cup qualification match Tuesday.
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The two managers matched wits 10 times in Colombian soccer with Osorio in charge of Atletico Nacional and Gomez managing Independiente Medellin. The "Clasico Paisa" as the rivalry between the teams is called saw both men get a few over on the other.
Nacional lost the first two matches under Osorio's watch, but went undefeated in the next four before Gomez's Medellin broke that streak in the first meeting of the 2012 Torneo Finalizacion. All told, Osorio managed Nacional to four wins, three draws and three defeats to Gomez's Medellin before Gomez left the club. He went on to take the Panama national team job, a position that he still has today.
"I remember the clasicos in Colombia well. They've been part of my professional career, and I enjoyed them. Competing against Hernan's teams always has been an important challenge," Osorio said. "Tomorrow will be the same. He'll keep his game plan that he knows very well. He'll put out a very competitive, athletic team. We're going to try to level this part out. There were important, very important, showings. Javier Hernandez, a lot of people appreciate him for his goals. Us, apart from that, we value him for his commitment and determination fighting for the ball with taller players.
"He and the rest can do it tomorrow. We're going to approach it like it is, a World Cup qualification match, more than a rivalry. We've got a team that can play like we did in the United States."
Gomez cited Osorio as the most important member of the Mexico team Sunday, praising him for his match preparation.
"I'm thankful for them," Osorio said of Gomez's kind words. "I think he's a man who knows his soccer, who has a lot of experience, several World Cups with different countries, he's a very talented man. I value his words, but at the same time I think I'm also going to put out the best possible team and the game is going to be the competition."
